Rwanda MP says ministers are covering up soaring costs of deportation plan

Ministers are deliberately hiding the soaring costs of the Rwanda deportation scheme from the public, the head of an influential parliamentary watchdog has said, as insiders expect a new deal with the African state to be signed off in days.

- Rajeev Syal

Dame Diana Johnson, the chair of the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the government has "total disregard" for parliament's rights to scrutinise the key immigration policy after a senior civil servant said that any extra costs on top of the £140m already paid to Rwanda would not be disclosed until the summer.

The home secretary, James Cleverly, is expected to fly to Kigali early this week to sign a treaty with the Rwandan government to get around a supreme court ruling that the scheme was unlawful.

Emergency legislation declaring the Central African country to be safe and which aims to curb legal challenges against the policy could also be presented to parliament.

The Sunday Times reported that the UK government would hand over another £15m on top of the £140m - a claim that was dismissed as "speculation" by the health secretary, Victoria Atkins.